Page 6

Tonight hadn’t been close to what I thought it would be. In many ways, it was better. It would’ve been great if it weren’t for the likes of Kit and Buck. When Keeley opened the door to me at her place, I had to fight not to devour her with my gaze and then with my mouth. She was even more stunningly gorgeous than she’d been last night. Escorting her into the restaurant with so many eyes on us had me puffing out my chest.

When our waiter stood so close to her the first time, I tried to ignore it. However, after the second time and how he kept casting sly glances at her, I had to say something. Of course, she’d been oblivious to it.

When Buck, the rodeo clown, came waltzing up and acting pompous and territorial over her, I wanted to punch him in the face. His insinuation that they’d been more than they were to each other irritated me. I knew he was pushing for a fight, and in the mood I was in, I was more than willing to give it to him. However, watching him scurry off like a dog with his tail between his legs when Munro Pascoe came to the table was fun. At first, I thought I was about to be introduced to another man who’d dated her or wanted her. I was relieved that they were only colleagues, and he was taken.

Her warning that it would be all over the offices tomorrow that we were dating hadn’t bothered me in the least, which surprised me. I made sure never to get entangled with women for more than sexual encounters these days. If someone mistook us for more, I quickly cleared it up. In Keeley’s case, it was the exact opposite. I hoped her coworkers and friends would assume there was something between us. Talk about a damn shocker.

I was still trying to unravel my conflicting thoughts when we reached her house. I knew that the consensus was to tell her the Dark Patriots would follow leads to find her sister. If she wanted to be involved in the process, she could be, but she should leave the risky stuff to us. The more I learned about her, the more I realized that Keeley wouldn’t do that. Undertaker had known it from the beginning.

I assisted her from the car and inside. After hanging up our coats, she had me sit in the living area while she got us a drink. We’d stuck to the nonalcoholic stuff at the restaurant. Here at her place, I accepted the offer of a whiskey. One drink wouldn’t impair my driving. She fetched it and a glass of wine for herself.

The house was warm, and I saw a large wood stove heating it. I wondered if that was her only heat source or the one she preferred, so I gestured to it.

“Is that your only heat source? If so, you must go through a ton of wood yearly living here.”

“It’s not the only one, but Dad knew if the electricity were to go out, it would take out other things like town water and gas heat. Propane isn’t as plentiful in an emergency as wood, so he installed the stove. If the electricity goes out, I have a generator or can survive without it. My water comes from a well.”

“If you don’t have electricity, how do you keep your food from going bad? What if your source of wood stops delivering?”

“I’m the wood source, so no worries there. As for food, I’m a canner, so there’s no need to have refrigeration or a freezer if I don’t have them. In addition, there’s a root cellar and an icehouse. I harvest ice during the winter months. Also, there are other ways to keep things cool if you know how.”

“Your dad taught you those and more?”

“He did. Most people sneer and make fun of people they call survivalists or preppers. They say they’re doomsday people and are crazy. I won’t deny that some may be, but Dad’s stance was that if the worst ever happened, he wanted his family to survive. He took old ways from the past and reintroduced them. How did the pioneers and those who lived during the Middle Ages survive? He ensured we knew how to hunt, fish, and preserve it. Nothing got wasted. I can tan hides, sew, and do a whole lot more. It wasn’t your typical upbringing, but I didn’t hate it. I like my modern conveniences, but I can live without them. Some people have no clue how to survive if they don’t have their conveniences and food from a store. I grow a garden during the months the weather permits.”

“True. Did your sister take to your dad’s lessons like you seem to have?”

“She learned them but wasn’t as dedicated as I was. She can take care of herself. But she wanted to experience life more mainstream, so she moved to Billings. I supported her decision, although I regret it now.”

“Keeley, you can’t blame what happened to her on yourself. Even if she lived here, she still could’ve been taken. Remember, you don’t know what transpired. She might not be in the situation you fear she is.” I knew it was unlikely she wasn’t, but I wanted to give Keeley hope.

“I appreciate you saying that, Beau, but I’m a realist. She hasn’t run off. Kensington wouldn’t leave and not tell me. Someone took her, or God forbid, she’s dead somewhere, and no one has found her body yet. Regardless, I won’t rest until I know what befell her and those responsible are made to pay,” she said with a growl.

And there it was. What we were here to talk about. No more evading the discussion. I set my glass on the table as I leaned toward her. She was sitting at an angle from me in the opposite chair.

“Let’s talk about that. Now that we know more about each other, I hope you can see that I know what I’m doing. I have an array of people I can rely on who will help me chase down leads. They have the resources to go after Kensington and those responsible for taking her. The ones who do this are dangerous and without mercy, Keeley. You don’t want them to turn their attention to you. I promise we won’t stop looking for your sister. We’ll keep you informed of everything we find. All I want is for you to let us take over the hunt. You admitted you don’t have the computer skills to track them and not get caught. Leave it to me and my people.” I let her hear the plea in my voice.

She didn’t say anything as she sat there watching me. I could tell she was deep in thought. I let her process it. I was optimistic that she would see it my way. It was a good sign that she hadn’t outright shot me down. It was a couple of minutes before she replied.

“Beau, you have no idea how much it means to have someone who knows what they’re doing searching for Kensy. Even though Reed and a few others have been doing their best, I’ve felt alone. Hell, the cops didn’t want to believe she was taken. They wasted valuable time arguing with me that she probably ran off. The trail went cold before they started to look for her.” She paused and took a deep breath.

“But I can’t let you or anyone else take this on without me. I can’t. I appreciate your offer more than you know. If I sat back and left you and your people to do all the work, I’d go insane. I have to stay busy. And when we find her and those responsible, I need to help make them pay not only for what they did to her but to countless others. I want to watch the life fade from their eyes.” She growled the last words. The gleam of a huntress was in her eyes. I had no problem picturing her killing someone.

Usually, I was calm and collected no matter the situation, except when it came to my brothers and sister. I wasn’t able to distance myself from this. The thought of Keeley being hurt due to her investigation made me feel crazy. My body felt like it was vibrating. I came to my feet and paced around the living room. When I had enough control to speak, I did.

“You can help. Any leads or information we find will be passed on to you to review. You might see something we missed. When the animals responsible are found, you’ll be allowed to see that they’ve been handled. You don’t need to get your hands bloody. That’s the job of those used to doing it.”

She shook her head. “No, I’ll do as you say, but I still have to follow leads, and I won’t just see the final result. I have to be part of their punishment. Their blood is mine,” she argued.

“Goddamn it! It’s too dangerous! Do you want to end up like her? There’s a good chance that no matter what we find, we’ll never recover her!” I half-shouted.

She was on her feet with her fists clenched at her sides. “I fucking know that! I’m not an idiot, but I have to have hope,” she snapped.

Our emotions were running high. I wasn’t able to get through to her like this. As much as I wanted to continue to argue with her, I knew it was the wrong move. After taking several deep breaths, I tried to soothe us both.

“I think we need to sleep on this and talk again. It’s getting late. You have to work in the morning. Why don’t we plan to talk tomorrow evening? Instead of going out, we can bring in food. That way, we can talk and eat. And there will be no more chances of running into Buck.” I rolled my eyes as I said his name.

A tiny chuckle escaped her, and the tension eased. “I’ll agree to that, but only on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You let me take care of dinner. All I need to know is if you hate anything other than Indian or have a craving for something.”

“As long as it’s not Indian, we’re good.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Is seven still good for you?”

“It is.”

By then, we were moving toward the door. After I had put on my coat and opened it, I had to fight not to kiss her. The urge was overwhelming, but I was able to prevent it—barely. I gave her what I hoped was a convincing smile and said goodnight. She told me the same thing. Keeley didn’t shut the door until I was pulling away. The entire drive back to town was spent with me lecturing myself not to get personally involved and pondering what I could say to get her out of the search.

I could’ve told her about the Patriots and what we did, but I held back. I knew she’d be pissed that I’d lied to her. I didn’t want to have a lie stand between us. Why it should make a difference, I didn’t know.

It was late before I was able to fall asleep. When I did, I dreamed of her. Some of them were about what could happen to her, so they were nightmares. The rest were steamy, sexual dreams that left me hard and aching. It was a long night.

???

I was tired and not in the best mood. I got up and went to find a coffee shop. The coffee at the hotel didn’t have enough punch. I was lucky that the shop also served breakfast. I grabbed a breakfast burrito and brought it back to my room to eat. My stomach was full, but I still drank the extra-large coffee I’d bought. I might have to go out and get another. I was on a video call with the bosses again. It was déjà of yesterday.

“Scorpion, are you with us?” Gabe’s loud voice jarred me out of my head and tuned me back into the conversation.

“Scorpion? Why are you calling me that?” I asked. It was my nickname from my time in the Raiders, but it was typically used when we were in the field. Just like you might hear certain ones of us calling Sean, Fiend. Gabe was Midas, and Griffin was Wraith.

“Well, after we said Beau about three times and you didn’t answer, I thought I’d call you that,” Gabe revealed. They were all frowning.

“Are you alright?” Sean asked.

“Do you need us to send someone else? Heath or Ben might be available,” Griffin suggested.

Instantly, I tensed. I didn’t want them or any other male operatives here interacting with Keeley. However, I pretended it was for a different reason.

“I’m starting to establish rapport with her. I think bringing someone else in at this stage would set us back. Just let me keep chipping away at her. She’s stubborn.”

“Are you sure?” Griffin asked.

“I’m sure. After she gets home, I’m going back to talk more to her tonight. Hopefully, she will have thought over what I said and see it from my point of view.”

“I doubt it. She’s a warrior. She’s not going to rest until they’re caught and punished. Why didn’t you tell her about us last night?” Undertaker asked. He was staring intently at me. I felt like he was seeing straight into my chaotic mind.

“Because I thought it would destroy whatever rapport I’d established.”

He didn’t say anything. I forced myself to focus on what they were saying and engage. They gave me a few updates on other cases I’d been involved in. An email would’ve sufficed, but they decided to do it now since we were talking. I was relieved when they signed off. We were to speak tomorrow.

“Jesus, Beau, get your head on straight, man. You can’t be spacing out. This is like any other mission. Charm her, and if that doesn’t work, then tell her the truth. Sure, she’ll be pissed at you, but if it makes her safe, who cares?” I muttered aloud.

Talking to myself didn’t make it any better. I knew I was lying to myself. It wasn’t like any other mission. The why of it was what I didn’t understand. Sure, I was physically drawn to her. It wasn’t as if she was the first woman that happened with on an assignment. However, in the past, I had never let it affect me or my ability to complete the job. The rule was you didn’t get involved, not even sexually, with someone critical to the mission. I was in control of myself. If I needed to blow off steam before the job was done, I’d find a woman not connected to the case, and we’d have sex. It was no-strings fucking.

After last night’s dreams, I knew I wanted Keeley sexually. Since that wasn’t happening, I needed to find someone to slake my hunger with. It wasn’t likely I’d find a woman during the day. They tended to be on the prowl at night. After returning from Keeley’s tonight, I resolved to go to the hotel bar and find a candidate. Once I got some action, I could be around Keeley without my needs affecting me. With this plan in place, I worked to go about my day. Tonight couldn’t come fast enough for a couple of reasons.

???

Things didn’t go as planned. I tried not to let my disappointment get to me when I received a text from Keeley around five o’clock.

Keeley: Sorry to do this, but I won’t be able to have dinner and talk tonight. We’ve had a crazy day, and I’ll be working for hours. Can we try tomorrow night?

I wanted this settled as quickly as possible, but I knew her work took priority.

Me: Hate to hear that, but I understand. Tomorrow is fine. Same time? Same plan?

Keeley: Yes. Same everything. See you then, fingers crossed. Have a good night.

Me: Stay safe.

With my plans blown, I decided to go for a drive and grab dinner. I drove around for a few hours before I stopped. I wished I was eating with her. Stop it , I lectured myself.

Returning to my room after I was done, I spent the next couple of hours online doing my own research. Finally, I knew that I had to go downstairs. The prospect of sleeping and dreaming about her had me horny.

It was after ten when I entered the bar. There were a few people there. I was disappointed to see that there were no lone women. I decided to have a drink or two while I was there. Maybe that would be enough to settle me. I wasn’t feeling the urge to go to a bar in town and pick someone up.

I ordered my second drink when the stool beside me was taken. I glanced over to find a woman sitting there. She was smiling at me. The way she checked me out told me she was there to hook up. It seemed my night wouldn’t be a bust after all. I smiled back. Briefly scanning her, I noted she was attractive. She appeared to be in her thirties. She had a pretty smile, and her body was decent.

“Good evening,” I said.

“Good evening. Mind if I sit here?”

“Not at all. What’re you drinking?”

“Hmm, I think I’ll have an Amaretto Sour.”

“Mack, bring the lady an Amaretto Sour,” I called. Mack and I talked and introduced ourselves. He nodded to indicate he heard me.

She reached for her purse, but I shook my head. “I’ve got it.”

“Why, thank you so much. Since you’re buying me a drink, I think we should introduce ourselves. I’m Rose,” she said. She held out her hand.

I took it. I tried not to let the fact that her handshake was limp register. “I’m Beau. Nice to meet you, Rose. Mind if I ask what has you staying at the hotel? Are you here for business or pleasure?”

“It’s a little of both. You?”

“Business.”

Over the next fifteen minutes or so, we chatted. It wasn’t anything too revealing, just small talk. She finished her drink, and I ordered a second one for her and a third for myself. She’d become bolder. She was giving off signals that she wouldn’t be opposed to going upstairs and having sex.

I was leaning in close. She had her face turned up to mine. Her hands were running up and down my chest. Her smile was giving me the green light. All I had to do was say Let’s go . I should’ve been happy and off that stool in a flash. I wasn’t. Instead, I fought not to push her away.

Her laughter was grating on my nerves. Her overly done-up face wasn’t what I wanted to see. Her perfume was cloying and made me want to gag. The closer she pressed, the more revolting I found her touch. I didn’t want her pawing at me. The desire I’d felt not long ago was gone. My cock was limp in my pants. My stomach roiled, making me feel sick to my stomach at the thought of having sex with her. She was batting her fake lashes at me. What I found attractive when she first joined me was now a turnoff.

“Beau, why don’t we go upstairs? You can come to my room, or I can join you in yours. I’d very much like to have sex with you,” she whispered.

I leaned away from her, reached up, and removed her hands from my chest. I put them down on her lap. She gave me an uncertain look.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m tired. I’ve got work tomorrow. I’m going to say good night.”

I stood, and she snagged my hand. She wore an incredulous look. “What do you mean you’re tired? You can’t be serious. You’ve been chatting me up for almost half an hour, and now you’re pretending you don’t want me,” she said indignantly.

“I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.” I gently shook her grip loose.

Not wanting to debate any longer, I turned and walked off. I heard her swear.

“What a prick! I hope he doesn’t think he’ll change his mind and I’ll have sex with him. He can go to hell. There are plenty of other men who’ll gladly sleep with me,” she hissed.

I don’t know if she was talking to herself or to Mack. I didn’t turn to find out. Did leaving her with unfulfilled expectations make me look like an asshole? Probably, but that wasn’t enough to make me change my mind.

When I got to my room, I stripped and got in the shower. The water was as hot as it could go. I needed to wash the smell of her perfume and the feel of her hands off me. As I lathered my skin, my mind went to Keeley. Instantly, my cock began to harden. Giving in to the urge, although I knew I shouldn’t, I closed my eyes and pictured her.

I tried to imagine what she’d look like naked. The way her clothes fit gave me an idea of what was underneath them. My cock became engorged as I kept going. She was in the shower with me. We were both stroking each other’s bodies. I had my hands full of her tits. I played with them until I couldn’t resist and fell to my knees. I spread her thighs and took in the sight of her pussy. She had short, curly pubes, which I didn’t mind. I preferred a woman to be bare, but it wasn’t enough to stop me.

Leaning in, I stroked my tongue up and down her folds. She moaned, and her hand fisted in my hair. I tried to imagine what she would taste like. As I ate her in my mind, I gripped my cock for real and began to stroke it. It didn’t take long for her to come in my fantasy and for me to spill my cum down the drain in real life. I came so damn hard my knees got weak, and I had to hold myself up using the safety bar. When I recovered enough to move, I was drained and ready for bed. Shutting off the water, I got out, dried off, and did my nighttime routine before I crawled into bed naked. I closed my eyes and sighed contentedly. A hand job in the shower thinking of Keeley was far more satisfying than if I’d brought Rose up here. What did that signify?

???

It was Friday, and all my texts to Keeley today had gone unanswered. I was growing worried. Over the past few days, she eventually answered me, even when her day was insanely busy. I was about to go to her work to check and see if she was alright when I got a response. It was almost five o’clock. I’d been telling her that we had to meet tonight to talk, no matter how late she got off work.

It was my last night before she was supposed to fly to South Carolina, and I had to persuade her not to go. Plus, I wanted to see her and see if these feelings I’d been having were still there. Last night with Rose and then in the shower confused me more. I needed to figure out what the hell was wrong with me.

Keeley: Can’t meet tonight. I’ve been called out for an overnight rescue. Won’t be back until tomorrow.

Me: I’ve got to see you. Surely, you get a break. Tell me where to meet you.

Her response was slow to come.

Keeley: I can’t. I’ll let you know when I’m done and home.

I knew I wasn’t getting a different answer, so I accepted it. Her flight out was supposed to be at nine in the morning. She had no idea I knew about her trip, and she never mentioned it. If she had an overnighter, then she wouldn’t be flying out.

Me: OK. Be safe. See you soon.

She didn’t respond.

I knew I needed to eat, but I wasn’t hungry. I lay on the bed, trying to distract myself with a movie. The minutes were ticking by extra slow. I watched the hours slip by as I waited for her to contact me. Nothing held my attention, but I kept trying.

It was eleven o’clock when my phone rang, startling me. Snatching it up eagerly, I was disappointed to see it wasn’t her calling. It was Sean. Immediately, I wondered what was wrong. There had to be something for him to call me at this time of night.

“Sean, what’s wrong?” I asked as soon as I answered.

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m calling you. But first, I wanted to tell you that Hadley had the baby this evening. She and Griffin are proud parents to Travis Graden Voss. Both of them are doing fine. I figured you’d want to know.”

I was happy to hear it. Griff and Hadley had been counting the days until their baby boy came. They named him Travis, after her dad, who they recently lost, and Graden, after Griffin’s dad. My phone dinged. I glanced down to find a picture of mom and baby.

“Damn, that’s great, Sean. I’ll send them my congratulations. If they’re fine, what did you mean by telling me you called to find out what was wrong from me?”

“Well, I was hoping you could tell me why Keeley Mills is on a last-minute flight to South Carolina. Why didn’t you warn us? Better yet, why is she going alone?” he snapped.

Disbelief hit me. “Sean, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Her flight leaves in the morning. She’s working an overnight rescue. I don’t know where you got your information, but it’s wrong.”

“I wish I were, but I’m not. Makayla called me, and she verified it. It seems Keeley went to the airport and, at the gate, made a last-minute flight change and flew out of Montana. Makayla hacked into their security cameras. It was Keeley. What the fuck happened? Why did she lie to you?”

Blood began to pound in my head as the reality that she had lied started to set in. “I don’t know, but I plan to fucking find out. What time did her flight leave? When is it supposed to get there?”

I was up, throwing my clothes into my bag as I asked.

“It took off about half an hour ago. She has a three-hour layover. She won’t land at Greenville-Spartanburg International until eight Eastern tomorrow morning. If you leave soon, you can fly nonstop and beat her there. Before she puts herself in more danger, you have to talk to her. Find out why she left early. Convince her to let us help her.”

“Is Lance still here, or did he return the plane to Virginia?” I asked.

Lance was a Dark Patriot pilot. He flew us on missions, but he’d been the one to bring me here. As for Makayla, I knew she wouldn’t have made a mistake. She was one of our best computer analysts.

“He’s there. I’ve already messaged him to prepare the plane and let air traffic control know his flight plan. He’ll be waiting for you. There’s no time to lose. Get your ass on that plane and find out why that woman skipped out,” he demanded.

“Roger. I’ll get back to you once I know something.”

I didn’t bother to say goodbye. As I finished packing, I fumed. What kind of game was Keeley playing, and why had she done it?